Residents call it the forgotten highway, and on Sunday night they got a reminder why.

Fallen trees and debris came washing down in a raging torrent on State Highway 35 in Bay of Plenty, just east of Ōpōtiki.

With no detour available, crews spent hours trying to clear the road and re-open it, so people could access main centres to reach the doctor and supermarket.

By Monday afternoon, one lane had reopened to allow traffic through in both directions on a traffic controlled give-way system.

Eastern Bay of Plenty residents say they are used to slash coming down in the area.

However, the disruption caused by closing SH35 from Beach Road to the Motu River Bridge was widespread.

UPDATE 3:25PM
SH35 is now CLOSED east of Ōpōtiki, between Beach Rd and Tirohanga Rd.
The road will remain CLOSED overnight to allow for safety assessments to take place. Slip and fallen tree-clearing efforts will take place tomorrow morning along SH35.
No detour is available. https://t.co/885WjkuukP pic.twitter.com/YppkzNcEl2

— Waka Kotahi NZTA Waikato/BoP (@WakaKotahiWaiBP) August 20, 2023

Te Kaha Beach Hotel staff member Lisa Wharepapa says the closure meant her guests had to delay important plans.

"It's just sad for the whānau, they've got medical appointments they need to attend, whānau need to access food and all the other services available to them that they aren't able to use at the moment."

She's unhappy at problems with slash, and says someone needs to take responsibility.

"It's a topic beyond me and beyond us, and I think it's a conversation that needs to be had. Someone needs to be held accountable."

The community is experienced in dealing with similar situations, Lisa says: "We're all resilient in terms of this ... we kind of just have to ride the wave and wait."

"Being along the coast we are prepared for these ... it's not something that we sit here and wait for, but we are ready and we are prepared."

Ten minutes up the highway in Te Kaha, Coastal Hideaway manager Craig Morris says he spent Monday morning ringing guests to tell them the bad news.

"We've got people booked in, you've got to chase them up and tell them what the situation is and try and find alternative solutions for them, so we can fulfil our commitments as an accommodation provider."

Slash is creating ongoing issues, he says.

"This is a problem in this particular area, on the East Cape, and not just us but further round towards Gisborne as well.

"It's a problem that's not going to go away, there needs to be some solution found or some sort of remediation or whatever, but it's certainly ongoing."

Ōpōtiki councillor Max Kemara says the road is in need of attention.

"Down our way, State Highway 35 is nicknamed as the forgotten highway because we always feel that we are forgotten, and so this just highlights it."

Communities on the coast rely on the connection for their everyday needs.

"Any road closure or blockage like this is always significant for us on the coast, our people there. We're really reliant on getting into Ōpōtiki or Whakatāne to do our shopping, it's the closest supermarkets to us. So for some people on the coast that's like a five hour round trip," he says.

Waka Kotahi says it knows how important State Highway 35 is as a connection for businesses and residents.

It expects it will take several days for the road to be fully cleared.

-Finn Blackwell/RNZ.